Steam vacuum-pump.



G. E. LOVEJOY & J. G. ROBINSON.

STEAM VACUUM PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED rmms, 1912.

1,063,269. Patented June 3,1913.

V/IT 55555; M QvQJ f2 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CD., WASHINGTON. D. c.

oniran 9TATE9 [earner orrien GEORGE E. IJOVEJOY, OF BOSTON, AND JOHN G.ROBINSON, 0F MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM VACUUM-PUMP.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE E. LOVEJOY andJOHN G. RoBINsoN, citizens of the United States, and residents,respectively, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, and of Melrose, inthe county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Steam Vacuum- Pumps, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to steam vacuum pumps whereby liquid is raisedfrom a lower to a higher level by atmospheric pressure acting against avacuum created by the condensation of steam, and our object is toimprove the construction and increase the efiiciency of such pumps inthe manner hereinafter set forth.

The principle of our invention will be explained by the drawings whichaccompany and form a part of this application.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of oneembodiment of our invention and Fig. 2 is an elevation showing a detailof construction.

In the particular drawings selected for more fully disclosing ourinvention, 1 is a tank provided with a steam chamber 2 and. the latteris suitably connected with a boiler 3 by means of the pipe 1 which inthe present instance is provided with a valve 5. The tank 1 is locatedat a suitable height above the tank 7 and is connected with the latterby a vertical pipe 6, which as shown, pr0- jects upwardly into the tank1 and terminates at or near the bottom of the lower tank 7. An out-letpipe 8 is suitably secured to the upper tank and when the device is employed for generating power, the lower end of said outlet pipe is solocated as to direct a stream of water against a suitableenergytranslating device herein shown as a waterwheel or turbine 9. Afloat 6, preferably of considerable weight, and in such case made hollowto have the requisite buoyancy, surrounds the upwardly extending end ofthe pipe 6, the hole in the center of the float being suiiiciently largeto permit the float to travel along said pipe as the water level. in thetank is varied without undue friction.

10, 10 are sprocket wheels located within the upper tank and arranged toturn about horizontal axles. The sprockets are con nected by a chain 10provided with lugs or strikers 12 12. A similarly constructedSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 16, 1912.

Patented June 3,1913. Serial No. 678,027.

wheel 11 is keyed to the horizontal shaft 27 and is connected by thechain 11" with the lower sprocket 11. The chain 11 is provided with lugs13, 13. The horizontal valve stem 14 is provided with two oppositelydirected valves 15, 16 and terminates in the cross-head 17, whichcooperates with the pin 18 on the sprocket 11. Communication between theupper tank and the pipe 8 normally is closed by the valve 19, the stemof which is connected with the sprocket 10 by the crosshead 20 and pin21. It will be understood, however, that any suitable means may beemployed for operatively connecting the valve stem 14 and the stem ofthe valve 19 with the sprockets 11 and 10 respectively, so that by therotation of said sprockets the position of said valves may becontrolled.

22 is a valve located preferably on the top of the tank and normallyclosed by the spring 24 surrounding the valve stem 23, the lower end ofwhich is arranged in the path of the striker 13. As shown, another valve25 normally closed by the spring 26 is secured to the tank. Thehorizontal axle 27 to which the sprocket 11 is keyed is shown asextending through a stufiing box placed in one wall of the upper tankand terminating in the hand-grip 29, so that by the manipulation of thelatter the sprocket 11 may be rotated and the valves 15, 16 opened andclosed at will.

The operation is as follows: The valve 5 is opened and the sprocket 11rotated manually thereby closing valve 16 and opening valve 17 andbringing the striker 13 in contact with the lower end of the valve stem23. The chamber 2 is now in communication with the boiler or source ofsteam supply and by turning the grip 29 in the opposite direction so asto move the valve stem 14 to the right, the valve 15 is closed, thevalve 16 opened and the pin 18 placed in line with the center of theaxle 27 and the horizontal axis of the rod 14, in other words, on a deadcenter, so that the pressure of the steam from the boiler on the valve15 will have no effect in changing the position of the valves 15, 16.The charge of steam in the chamber 2 being new admitted to the tank 1expands and opens the valve 22, or the valve 25, if the latter beemployed, drives the air out of the tank and eventually condenses,thereby forming a vacuum. The

atmospheric pressure acting on the water in the tank 7 said tank beingopen and the water level indicated by the dotted line 7, drives thewater from the lower tank through the pipe 6 into the upper tank,

whereupon the float begins to rise until it comes in contact with thestrikers 12 and 18. The impact of the float against the striker 12causes the sprocket 10 to rotate in a counter clockwise direction andopen the valve 19 through the pin and cross-head connection 20, 21. Theimpact of the float against the striker 13 causes the sprocket 11 torotate in a clockwise direction thereby closing the valve 16 and openingthe valve 15-, and practically simultaneously with the movement of saidvalves, the striker raises the stem 23 and opens the valve 22. Then thevalve 22 is opened the vacuum in the tank 1 is destroyed and the watercontents thereof flow out through the pipe 8 for whatsoever purpose maybe desired, such for example, as the operation of the water turbine 9'.The valve 16 being now closed and the valve 15 open, the pressure of thesteam from the boiler 3 against the valve 16 maintains the latter in itsclosed position and this serves to maintain the striker 13 in contactwith the valve stem 23 for the purpose oi? keeping the valve 22. openagainst the tension of the spring 2 1-.-

Vhen the water in the tank 1 has reached its desired lower level, thefloat cooperates with the strikers 12 and 13", thereby closing the valve19 by rotating the sprocket 10 in a clockwise direction and closes andopens the valves 15, 16, respectively, by rotating the sprocket 11 in acounter clockwise direction. A second charge of steam from the chamber 2is now admitted to the tank 1 and the cycle is repeated automaticallywithout further necessity for manipulating the handle 29.

It will be understood that while we have described in detail onearrangement of apparatus for effecting the object above set forth,various other apparatus may be devised by those skilled in the art thatwill accomplish the same result in substantially the same manner.Accordingly We do not limit ourselves to the apparatus which we haveshown and described in detail for the purpose of more completelyexplaining the nature of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a steam vacuum pump, a tank, a steam chamber connected thereto, asource of steam supply connected to said steam chamber, and means forclosing the connectionv between said steam chamber and tank andsimultaneously opening the connection between said steam chamber andsource, and vice versa.

2. In a steam vacuum pump, a tank, a steam chamber connected thereto, asource of steam supply connected to said steam chamber, and automaticmeans for closing the connection between said steam chamber and tank andsimultaneously opening the connection between said steam chamber andsource, and vice versa.

3. In a steam vacuum pump, a tank arranged to hold liquid, a steamchamber connected thereto, a source of steam supply connected to saidsteam chamber, and means operated by the liquid in said tank for closingthe connection between said steam chamber and tank and simultaneouslyopening the connection between said steamchamber and source, and viceversa.

1. In a steam vacuum pump, a tank, a steam chamber connected thereto, asource of steam supply connected to said steam chamber, automatic meansfor closing the connection between said steam. chamber and tank andsimultaneously opening the connection between said steam chamberandsource, and vice versa, and manually operated means for initiallyoperating-said automatic means.

5. In a steam vacuum pump, a tank arranged to hold" liquid, a steamchamber connected thereto, a source of steam supply connected to saidsteam chamber, means operated by the liquid in said tank for closing theconnection between said steam chamber and tank and simultaneouslyopening the connection between said steam: chamber and source, and viceversa, and manually operated means for initially operating theliquid-operated means.

6. In a steam vacuum pump, anupper tank, a lower tank, a pipeconnecting. said tanks and projecting upwardly into the upper tank, asteam chamber connected tosaid upper tank, a source of steam supplyconnected to said steam chamber, and means for closing the connectionbetween said steam chamber and tank and simultaneously opening theconnection between said steam chamber and source, and vice versa.

7 In a steam vacuum pump, an upper tank, a lower tank, a pipe connectingsaid tanks and projecting upwardly into the upper tank, a steam chamberconnected to said upper tank, and automatic means for closing theconnection between said steam chamber and tank and simultaneouslyopening the connection between said steam chamber and source, and viceversa.

8. In a steam vacuum pump, an upper tank and a lower tank, both.arranged to hold liquid, a pipe connecting said tanks and projectingupwardly into the upper tank, a steam chamber connected to said' uppertank, a source of steam supply connected to said steam chamber, andmeans operated by the liquid in said upper tank for closing theconnection between the steam chamber and the upper tank andsimultaneously openingthe Connection between said steam chamber andsource of steam supply, and vice versa.

9. In a steam vacuum pump, an upper tank, a lower tank, means forcreating a vacuum in said upper tank whereby a liquid may be raised fromsaid lower tank to said upper tank and means controlled by the liquid insaid upper tank for emptying said tank of its liquid contents.

10. In a steam vacuum pump, an upper tank, a lower tank, means forcreating a vacuum in said upper tank whereby a liquid may be raised fromsaid lower tank to said upper tank, and two valves controlled by theheights of the liquid in said upper tank, one of said valves beingarranged to destroy the vacuum and the other to permit the said tank tobe emptied of its liquid contents.

11. In a steam vacuum pump, a tank, a source of steam supply, a steamchamber interposed between said tank and supply and automatic means forintermittently putting said steam chamber into communication alternatelywith said source and said tank.

12. In a steam vacuum pump, a tank arranged to hold liquid, a steamchamber connected thereto, a source of steam supply connected to saidsteam chamber, means for intermittently connecting said steam chamberalternately with said source and said tank, said means being controlledby the liquid in said tank.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 15thday of F eb.,

GEORGE E. LOVEJOY. JOHN G. ROBINSON. Witnesses:

E. B. TOMLINSON, GEO. K. Woonwoncrrr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

